The present invention relates to a sanitary or plumbing fixture that can be activated without physical contact and that has a water outlet connected to a water line, a mixer valve disposed in the water line, and a non-return or shut-off valve that is disposed downstream of the mixer valve, can be controlled by a proximity-sensitive sensor, and can be actuated by a control unit as a function of control signals of the sensor, whereby to supply the control unit with electrical energy, a turbine that is disposed in the water line and an associated generator, which is preferably connected to an energy accumulator, are provided.
A plumbing fixture of this general type is known from DE-C1 - 39 05 759. In the region of the turbine, the water line is embodied as an annular channel into which the vanes of the turbine project. Disposed within the annular channel is a separate housing for the generator, the shaft that carries the blades or vanes of the turbine, as well as the speed-changing gear box.
Although this plumbing fixture is capable of operating without being connected to a main power supply, since, however, the generator is built into the water line, the electrical energy must be withdrawn therefrom using sliding contacts and must be guided out of the water line. Due to the small amount of energy that can be converted from the flowing water, substantial losses are incurred and it is also often difficult to effectively seal the generator, which means that it is not possible to ensure a problem-free and maintenance-free operation over an extended period of time.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to design a plumbing fixture of the aforementioned general type that can be actuated without physical contact and where no problems and virtually no losses are encountered when transferring the electrical energy produced by the generator directly to the control unit or to the energy accumulator, with no special seals for the generator or other components having to be provided. Above all, however, the generator should be capable of operating at high speed without the need for a speed-changing gear box and the losses associated therewith, thus ensuring good utilization of the hydrodynamic energy of the water and hence a high level of efficiency. The manufacturing expense incurred by doing so should be minimal, and the components that are to be disposed in the water line should all have straightforward designs and small dimensions to ensure that they can operate over a long period of time without problems and without maintenance, and that the plumbing fixture can be installed virtually anywhere and can also be retrofitted.